Stieglitz: A Memoir/Biography

by Sue Davidson Lowe, Arthur Dove, Anne Havinga

"Stieglitz is as scholarly a production as anyone could wish, crammed with facts and trailing informative appendixes. It is also a loving and occasionally exasperated look at a contentious relative and the intimate circumstances that formed him." --Time A tireless exponent of the avant-garde and of photography as a fine art, as well as a consummate photographer in his own right, Alfred Stieglitz was both the embodiment of rebellious New York modernism and an oddly domestic man who retained a lifelong attachment to his family's country estate. In A Memoir/Biography, author Sue Davidson Lowe, Stieglitz's grand-neice, presents the man in all of his complexity, tracing his background and revealing the interplay between his character and his multifaceted career. She offers new insight into Stieglitz's relationships with artists such as Marin, Hartley, Dove, Steichen, and O'Keefe; his pioneering promotion of Europe's most radical artists through the Photo-Secession group and the 291 gallery; and his creation of some of our century's most enduring photographic images. Gracefully weaving personal reminiscence and verifiable fact as she lucidly interweaves Stieglitz's career with his personal life, Lowe presents a uniquely compelling and intimate portrait of a hugely influential, hugely enigmatic American artist.

Genres: Biography, Photography, Art, Nonfiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 2002

Reviews

[Richard Rodney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful and important as background on the family life and general circumstances of Stieglitz as well as his professional life and relationships, but not as a philosophical consideration of his contributions to photography and art history. Stieglitz was the author's great-uncle. See Kirkus review at https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

[Curtis Seven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Stieglitz was a notable photographer he is also a significant figure in the larger field of the arts in that he introduced Picaso and others to the United States and was influential on not just American art but in art history generally. The fact that he himself was a photographer is significant in this context in that as such an influential figure he brought photography more into the realm of painting and sculpture.

This book is a good biography of him I think filling in so many more details of the story than the brief overview above. Even though it was written over 30 years ago it still stands up today.

[Nikki Vlatos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the way it was written very difficult to get through. The author will often go off the current topic and also jump forward or backwards in time. It was like being in a conversation with someone who can't seem to focus for any length of time, making it very difficult to grasp what they're trying to convey. Poorly written, and although featuring Alfred Steiglitz more often then not was about his family. Not what I was looking for in a book about a specific person. Although I did enjoy the questions it raised on what art is, creativity , aging and personal relationships. It was a difficult read and I wouldn't recommend it.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feel like I've been reading forever and only on page 50. Too tedious, even though I usually adore biographies. Stieglitz was a mentor to many artists, photographers in the early 20th century. He owned a gallery in Manhattan & through that he was introduced to one of his wives, Georgia O'Keeffe. They summered for many years on Lake George, not far from us. He was ahead of his time, but with an artistic temperament to boot.

[John Parker · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's really more than a two-star book, but is tedious in places. It is a mix of the personal and professional life of the artist complete with all the recollections of the family member acting as author. As a result there is less written about his techniques and more from a relational perspective.
If you are fan of his work then this remains a must-read.

[Matt]

Good read... LOTS of information on Alfred and Georgeia O'Kieff